Glaucoma Testing & Management

Glaucoma - Dealing With the Silent Thief of Sight

For diseases which have no cure, early diagnosis and proactive management are critical to retaining a useful amount of vision. Glaucoma quietly steals away your peripheral vision, without any pain, and if left untreated, can cause severe tunnel vision or total blindness.

Despite the lack of a cure, it is possible in many cases to slow progression, minimise associated symptoms and maintain a high standard of independent living.

How Do I Spot a Disease Which Has No Symptoms?

The silent, hidden nature of glaucoma is why we recommend all patients have an eye exam at least every 24 months (preferably annually). However, if you’ve noticed any problems with your peripheral vision – like vehicles or cyclists suddenly appearing at a junction while driving – then you need to come in for an appointment.

Glaucoma Testing & Management

Living With Limited Peripheral Vision

Glaucoma only targets your peripheral, so without any other undesirable conditions your central vision should remain quite clear. Even if this area is very narrow, it will be sufficient for reading and similar tasks, though driving and some types of work could become infeasible.

Whether it’s through attempting treatments, giving advice or helping to identify lifestyle aids which may help you overcome your limited sight, our doctors will be with you every step of the way.

Glaucoma Testing & Management

Testing for Glaucoma

At Nicola Eye Care we only use and maintain the most advanced and diagnostically powerful equipment available. During testing your doctor will:

One indicator of glaucoma is elevated intraocular (inner eye) pressure (IOP). Tonometry is the process of measuring this pressure - if yours falls outside of normal bounds, it is indicative of a problem. Our state-of-the-art non contact tonometer administers a softer, quieter air puff than older machines, and simultaneously measures the thickness of your cornea, allowing us to determine the accuracy of our measurements. If needed, we will perform contact tonometry for more precise IOP measurement.

This imaging technique creates an extremely detailed, 3D picture of the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) as it exits the optic nerve head inside the eye. Glaucoma causes thinning of the RNFL that leads to vision loss. This very sensitive test allows us to measure changes to your ocular health before you have lost any vision, and allows us to monitor very closely for progressive changes over time.

Glaucoma destroys side vision, and this exam tells your doctor exactly how limited your visual field has become. We can detect tiny flaws in the peripheral vision, so even if you are in the earliest stages of glaucoma, diagnosis is possible.

Location

Find Our Office

You can find us on the corner of St Paul St and 3rd Ave. We are 3 blocks down 3rd Ave from Royal Inland Hospital, towards downtown. Our office is across the street from the Telus Store and Stuart Wood school yard (where the summer Farmer’s Market is on Saturdays).